


i'll paint you a clear blue sky

by solcadit



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), M/M, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus), Pre-The Trials of Apollo, cecil markowitz centric (dont be fooled by the summary), nico paints stuff, valentina and cecil have a betting pool on how solangelo gets together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:55:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solcadit/pseuds/solcadit
Summary: Valentina Diaz had apparently been walking by the arts and crafts center while on her way to Big House to ask Chiron for permission to leave camp and go to the mall when she first spotted the unlikely pairing. Nico di Angelo had allegedly been grinning the widest anyone’s ever seen him grin, and Will Solace had been sitting beside him, close enough for their shoulders to be bumping as they talked while Nico painted.She had immediately run to find Cecil Markowitz, her newest partner-in-crime for the operation to get this certain pair of demigods together.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 125





	i'll paint you a clear blue sky

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello! 
> 
> i suddenly had the idea of how hazel does art, and wondering what if nico paints, too, as some sort of coping mechanism. and so here it is. a fic titled after the song i was listening to when i was inspired to write a (not really) short fic and also because : blue (feat. alex hope) - troye sivan
> 
> anyway, hello, thanks for being here and i hope u enjoy! :D

The Aphrodite campers spot him first, and the news spreads like wildfire through camp: _Nico di Angelo is at Arts and Crafts. He’s painting._

It’s not unusual for Nico di Angelo to suddenly disappear from camp for months at a time, but it is somewhat strange that he disappears and suddenly comes back with a newfound hobby. No one had really expected him to go for painting, either, since arts and crafts were more an Athena thing.

The Hermes campers were the next to report to the growing buzz the next day. Connor Stoll had walked up to Nico and his easel like they’ve known each other their whole lives (technically, the Stolls have known Nico since he was ten years old) and casually sits next to him when no one else would and asks him, “Hey, Nico, what are you painting?”

Nico di Angelo had only apparently blinked and motioned towards his canvas. “Can’t you see?”

The rest of the Hermes cabin had burst into snickers at Connor’s bright red face as he laughed his embarrassment off.

They reported that they don’t really know what Nico is painting, but it looks sad and is very dark. Nico had apparently gone through two little plastic containers of black paint during the Hermes cabin’s arts and crafts session alone.

Cecil Markowitz - the son of Hermes and the _best_ best friend Camp Half-Blood’s demigod healer could ever have - reports to Will Solace the things that are happening in the outside world. Will is apparently “way too busy” to even go out and ask the son of Hades about what he’s doing or painting or how he’s been over the past months (even if Cecil knows that Will must be dying to hear about the son of Hades, from how his ears immediately perk up and his eyes brighten when he even hears Nico’s name)

Especially when Will had glanced up from where he was healing Paolo Montes because he had heard the conversation of a pair of Demeter campers passing by the infirmary that Nico had stayed by the window of the arts and crafts center, staying far away from the rest of the campers who were sitting on benches.

“Did anyone try to talk to him, though?” One Demeter kid had asked her brother.

The sibling had shaken his head, “I heard an Aphrodite kid said he had this dark aura coming off of him. They didn’t want to approach.”

Paolo Montes has to loudly groan in Portuguese to call Will’s attention back to the wound on his leg that had started bleeding profusely again.

When Cecil heads over to the infirmary after his canoe-rowing and archery classes to report to Will the newest things he’s heard about Nico di Angelo, Kayla stops him at the door with a hand raised to his chest. 

“Will’s not here, he’s banned from the infirmary for the rest of the week.”

Cecil frowns. “Why?”

“He’s overworking,” Kayla sighs, and Cecil only nods in agreement. Will had been overworking himself a little too much again recently, barely leaving the infirmary even for meals. 

He proceeds to thank her anyway, before turning on his heel to head over to the Apollo cabin. 

Cecil knocks on the door of the golden cabin, to see Austin swinging it open while clutching a saxophone to his chest with a grumpy look on his face. Before Cecil can even open his mouth, Austin says, “Will’s not here.”

Does _everyone_ immediately know he’s looking for Will if he’s at the Apollo cabin or the infirmary? Is it his signature knock?

“Huh.”

“No, I don’t know where he is.”

“I see.”

“Please don’t knock again, I’m filming a Youtube video.”

“Okay.”

Cecil walks all around camp, asking Malcolm at the arena if he knows where Will is (“I’ve been here all day, I don’t know. Sorry.”), Alice at the stables (“Will? Isn’t he at the infirmary?”), Harley at the forges (a flaming blowtorch that he probably shouldn’t be holding spelling out _N-O_ ), Miranda and Sherman at the amphitheater (“Sorry, haven’t seen him today.”), Billie at the strawberry fields (a wave of a hand with a “Sorry, Cecil.”), Meg at the archery range (“Infirmary?”). 

He even goes to the Hecate cabin to look for Lou Ellen; maybe she turned him into a pig, a person can never be too sure. (Maybe Cecil just wanted to bother her.)

Lou Ellen had promptly smacked him on the shoulder, looking as if she’s trying hard to fight a smile. “Why would I turn _Will_ into a piglet? A piglet can’t run the infirmary!”

“You never know!”

She has a point. Pigs can’t run the infirmary, but honestly, Cecil was running out of ideas where Will might be. He just really wanted to find Will because the Athena cabin had just apparently come from arts and crafts and-

_Oh._

Why didn’t he think of it earlier?

Cecil races to the arts and crafts center and spots Will Solace sitting by Nico di Angelo and his easel, smiling and chatting by the window where everyone can look in and see them. They look pretty happy and comfortable.

He leaves to give them their peace and happiness. He can chat up Will some other day.

Gossip travels fast around a camp full of teenagers in the winter when there’s not a lot of people and there aren’t any dangerous quests. 

Over the next few days, campers are whispering amongst themselves about a certain Apollo healer and a son of Hades who meet too often at the arts and crafts center. Talking about the what-ifs, and how they might be good for each other if ever the son of Hades swings _that_ way. (Will has been out as bisexual ever since the Battle of Manhattan.)

Valentina Diaz had apparently been walking by the arts and crafts center while on her way to Big House to ask Chiron for permission to leave camp and go to the mall when she first spotted the unlikely pairing. Nico di Angelo had allegedly been grinning the widest anyone’s ever seen him grin, and Will Solace had been sitting beside him, close enough for their shoulders to be bumping as they talked while Nico painted.

She had immediately run to find Cecil Markowitz, her newest partner-in-crime for the operation to get this certain pair of demigods together (because Will was Cecil and Lou Ellen’s best friend. But Lou Ellen was too busy helping out Jason Grace with the son of Jupiter’s promise to the gods whenever he finds a day to come to camp and thus, always exhausted.)

According to the daughter of Aphrodite, _“You could see Will’s heart-eyes!”_

Cecil had only laughed when he heard it. Valentina’s eyes were wide and twinkling with excitement at the idea of Will having feelings for the son of Hades. 

They usually keep these little pieces of information among the two of them, and lets the rest of the campers theorize on their own. It’s mostly Valentina sharing news, though, while Cecil knows a lot more than he’s letting on. 

(Will had been liking Nico for as long as Will was out because seeing Nico arrive at the battle with an army of undead soldiers and his godly family had apparently sent him into a gay epiphany. Then on the day the war with Gaea ended, Will had been so flustered afterward because he had finally been able to have a conversation with _the_ Nico di Angelo.)

But he’s not going to volunteer that kind of information that Will had only told him and Lou Ellen because while he wants them together, he’s not telling a daughter of Aphrodite about _that_.

Cecil wonders how Will would take the news of the rumors circulating around camp if he ever heard of them.

Although it’s quite unlikely that he will. The Aphrodite cabin has been making sure that _none_ of the seven aside from Will and Nico hear about it.

Not that it’s a problem in the first place; Jason, Piper, Percy, and Annabeth are going to school, Leo’s still missing (unfortunately), and Hazel and Frank are at Camp Jupiter.

(It’s more of a secret betting pool that he and Valentina started, really. Cecil put in twenty mortal dollars and a six pack of Coca Cola and three Hershey chocolate bars that Will is _not_ going to be the one to confess first if ever Nico does like him back.)

“So, how’s the infirmary?” 

Cecil slips into the seat beside Will at the campfire on a chilly Friday night, marshmallows on a stick in his hand. He had just seen Nico walk away from Will, probably to go back to his cabin, unsuspecting of all the pair of eyes on them. Valentina Diaz herself was watching the pair with interest from behind them, a twinkle in her eyes.

Will hums, staring into the bright blue flames of the campfire with a little smile on his face left from when he and Nico were laughing over marshmallows just minutes ago. They were so disgustingly adorable Cecil wanted to puke from where he was watching them on the other side of the amphitheater.

“It’s alright. Fewer campers are getting hurt recently so that’s great.”

“Where have you been, though? You’re never there at the infirmary when I come over,”

“Huh?” Will finally turns to look at him, his eyebrows knitting together, “When _do_ you come over?”

Cecil pretends to think for a moment, watching one side of the marshmallows on his stick turn brown and practically melt with the heat of the flames, “Around one or two in the afternoon, usually?”

“Oh.”

Will’s voice sounds different. It’s the tone he used to have when he was talking about Nico before to Cecil and Lou Ellen. When he was talking about how _cool_ and _heroic_ Nico was during the wars - which he is, Cecil has to agree.

(Lou Ellen, unfortunately, crashed early in the Hecate cabin. So she’s not able to be part of this conversation.)

Cecil twists around to catch Valentina’s eye before turning back to Will, nudging the son of Apollo’s shoulder. “What do you mean _‘oh’_ ? Where have you been, huh, Solace? You’re usually _always_ in the infirmary.”

Will doesn’t answer and only pops a marshmallow in his mouth.

Cecil presses on, “Is it because you’re with Nico all the time?”

Will promptly chokes, “ _What_?”

“Don’t pretend, Will,” Cecil shoves at Will’s shoulder again, letting the smile he’s been holding back split across his face. “Me and some other campers see you and Nico always talking by arts and crafts.”

Cecil wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at his friend. Will manages to swallow his marshmallow with difficulty and (ineffectively) glares at the son of Hermes. The blue flames from the campfire are reflected in his blue eyes.

“Me and Nico are just _friends_! That’s all we are!”

“Are you really?”

“Yes!”

“Bold of you to assume I forgot about your crush, Will. You’ve been going on and on about him for the past two years now.”

Will’s eyes widen and he reaches over, attempting to close Cecil’s mouth for him, frantically looking around at the other campers (who are in their own conversations, by the way. Cecil’s pretty sure only Valentina heard anything) It’s as if he’s making sure no one has heard what Cecil just said.

“Cecil!” Will hisses, as the son of Hermes laughs loudly and dodges the son of Apollo’s hands while trying to keep his sweets from committing suicide in the fire. “That’s only between us and Lou!”

“You know, you have _got_ to become less obvious with your heart eyes, people are starting to notice.”

“I’m not that obvious!”

“Yes-”

“Honestly, Will, you are.” Valentina suddenly cuts in their conversation with a sigh from where she’s sitting in the row behind them. 

Will wildly turns around, his eyes wide as the realization that someone - especially a daughter of Aphrodite - heard their conversation. He lets out a strangled sound before dropping his head into his hands as if in defeat.

Cecil turns to Valentina, who has a knowing grin on her face. The daughter of Aphrodite stands up from where she’s sitting and goes down a step to sit down on the empty space beside Will. She reaches over, patting his back comfortingly.

“It’s alright, Will,” she says soothingly, and Cecil can detect a hint of charmspeak in her voice, though he briefly wonders if it works on Will. It doesn't really work on Cecil himself, either. But it's the effort counts, he supposes. “If it helps, Nico isn’t as fast on to catch as the rest of us are.”

Cecil has to agree. The son of Hades really is quite dense. He turns his stick to the other side so his marshmallows roast evenly.

“But,” Valentina continues on, “You’re a bit dense, too. Nico likes you. Haven’t you noticed?”

Will raises his head to gawk at Valentina in shock at the same moment Cecil snaps his head to look at her. She hadn’t mentioned anything about Nico looking like he likes Will before now!

Valentina only laughs at their shocked expressions, rolling her eyes when she glances at Cecil. She turns back to Will, a dazzling smile worthy of the goddess of love and beauty on her face. She continues patting Will’s back.

“Haven’t you ever noticed how different he is with you compared to when he’s around the other campers?”

Cecil nods as support. Nico has been very comfortable-looking and outgoing around Will when he’s still rather shy and awkward around everyone else. Nico also jerks and jumps whenever someone even so much as bumps into him (though Nico promises he’s working on it), but when he’s Will, touch looks like the most natural thing in the world.

There are probably more things that Cecil hasn’t noticed but Valentina probably has, all of which she mentions one by one to Will. Cecil can practically see the gears turning in Will’s brain as he realizes the possibilities.

But of course, Will doesn’t really entertain the possibilities.

“But what if he’s just being friendly?”

Valentina sighs and places a hand on Will’s arm, “Will, sweetie, trust me. I know _love_ when I see it.” She casually waves a hand in Cecil’s direction, “It’s like how this guy has a massive crush on Lou Ellen.” 

Cecil almost drops the stick of marshmallows he’s holding in surprise.

The daughter of Aphrodite pauses before adding with a frown on her face, “I think Lou Ellen likes him, too. I can’t be sure, though, she might be countering Mom’s love magic so we can’t tell.”

It’s Cecil’s turn to choke over the nicely roasted marshmallow he has just started nibbling on.

Two days after the campfire, Cecil drops by the arts and crafts center after he sees Valentina Diaz call Will out to talk by the canoe lake, just to see what Nico di Angelo has been doing.

And maybe to ask him what he thinks of his best friend and maybe try to push the son of Hades to confess because the gods know Will _won’t_.

(If Nico confesses to Will first and they get together, Cecil’s going to be immediately fifty mortal dollars richer from Valentina _alone_.)

“Hi!” 

Nico jumps at the sound of Cecil’s voice, almost overturning the jar of white paint beside him. He focuses his gaze on Cecil, and his eyes widen just a little bit as he attempts to discretely turn his easel away from the son of Hermes’s line of view (wow, that’s a _lot_ of yellow), but he hesitantly says, “Hi.”

Cecil walks over to the corner of the room, where Nico is seated. 

“So, do you like Will?”

Nico flinches, a look of panic crosses his features for a second before he gathers himself and his face turns expressionless. “We’re friends!”

Cecil doesn’t miss how the ears of the son of Hades are bright red. Practically a sure sign. But he waves it off, forcing out an easy laugh.

“Nah, I was just kidding. I know you two are friends, of course.”

But Nico looks sort of panicked at the mention liking Will that Cecil can’t help but want to tease him, even if it might get him attacked by a bunch of skeletons. He knows what the son of Hades can do; Will rarely shuts up about it, and he has seen the crack on the floor in the mess hall.

Cecil adds after an afterthought, a mischievous smile on his face, “After all, you’re stealing from me and Lou these days. You two are inseparable, it’s actually sort of cute.” 

Nico splutters, “What?”

“You and Will,” The grin on Cecil’s face widens as he raises a thumbs up, “Looking good. Adorable. He’s had a crush on you since forever, you know. I’d love to see you two end this mutual pining and make each other happy and be disgustingly cute and whatever.”

He’s admittedly terrible at this, with convincing Nico to confess. Valentina, as the daughter of Aphrodite that she is, could do so much better with convincing Will of romantic feelings, but Cecil has to at least try. He could buy so much stuff with fifty bucks.

“I...”

“And you know, just in case Will ever hurts you,” Cecil winks excessively and waves the hand sign of a phone by his ear, “You know who to call,”

The son of Hades’s neck and face and ears are bright red, and Cecil can’t help but laugh. Some part of him is really wishing Nico doesn’t set any zombies to chase him out.

“Cecil?”

An all too familiar voice calls in, and Will walks back in the arts and crafts center. He must be done talking with Valentina. Cecil turns his head to look at the confused-looking son of Apollo, raising his hand as a wave.

“Hey there, Will!”

“What are you doing here?” Will’s confused expression suddenly shifts into a suspicious one. Especially when he notices the red blush on Nico’s face despite the son of Hades ducking to hide his red face.

“I just wanted to have a chat with Nico here,”

Will’s blue eyes narrow as he looks back and forth from Nico to Cecil repetitively.

“Cecil, did you-”

“Anyway,” Cecil claps his hands, “I should go!”

He waves at Nico and claps Will on the shoulder, rushing out of the arts and crafts center before either of the two boys can say anything else.

Cecil catches up with Valentina just outside the cabins, yelling out her name before she can walk inside the empty Aphrodite cabin. 

“Hey, Diaz!”

Valentine turns with a flip of her dark hair, waiting for him to reach her. She has her arms crossed over her chest and a smug smile on her face.

“Will is probably confessing right now.”

Cecil tilts his head, matching her confident smile with one of his own. “I bet it’s Nico.”

“Wanna bet?” 

“Another twenty bucks?”

“Confess to Lou Ellen if you lose?”

Cecil freezes, and Valentina narrows her eyes.

“What, are you a chicken, Markowitz?”

Cecil bites his lip. She’s _taunting_ him. The nerve of this girl. He holds his hand out for a handshake, to seal the deal even if he has never really considered even confessing to Lou Ellen. 

“We got a deal, Diaz.”

It’s only during Capture the Flag the following week that confirms the fact that _one_ of them confessed. 

Will had been surprisingly jumpy and secretive about him and Nico over the past week, so Cecil couldn’t grill anything out of him. It only heightens his suspicion that they get together already, but he doesn’t know who confessed to _who_.

During Capture the Flag, while on border patrol with Cecil and Alice, Nico had been grazed by Ellis Wakefield’s spear and lightly scratched at with another camper’s knife. Really, Nico had managed to raise a vicious army of the undead right after, but Will had run right over despite being on the opposite team (Apollo was with Ares; Athena had Nico) and started worrying over Nico’s condition. (Despite Nico’s protests that he was perfectly fine.)

Kayla had to drag Will away along with Nico pushing the son of Apollo away so that the head counselor could heal the more severe injury of Paolo Montes being knocked out cold and run through with someone’s sword. (Seriously, what is it with this kid and being injured all the time?)

(The Nike twins lost their dessert privileges for the week for (accidental, they protest) maiming and over-competitiveness.)

There was also the case of how Ellis and Sherman Yang were ready to yell at Will for letting their flag be taken, but Nico had stepped in and practically threatened to set on his skeleton army on the Ares cabin if they even try to yell at Will.

Valentina had watched the whole thing go down with a glint in her eye. Lou Ellen had her eyebrows raised at Will the whole time. And if Chiron didn’t know or guess anything about the campers’ relationships before, he definitely would have known something after Capture the Flag. 

The whole camp did.

Cecil heads over to the infirmary with Lou Ellen to catch up on Will (and Nico) after they walked the injured son of Hebe over so he could get bed rest. Paolo Montes was sleeping in a bed by the entrance of the infirmary, and Cecil walks straight ahead to the back where he knows Will frequents and a grin makes its way on his face upon seeing the son of Apollo sitting together with a certain son of Hades. They’re talking in low voices, and Will has a little tired smile on his face.

Nico spots them first, and he immediately zips his mouth closed. 

Will looks over his shoulder in confusion and his smile splits into a wider grin as he waves his hand, “Oh, hey, Cecil! Lou!”

Cecil sits on the edge of an empty bed, while Lou Ellen conjures herself a chair out of mid-air. Will is sitting on a chair beside Nico, who has bandaids all over his arms. Cecil has to stop himself from rolling his eyes; Will could heal those in a jiffy, he probably just wants his crush (or are they boyfriends now?) back in the infirmary.

“Are you together?” Cecil dumbly blurts out, because his mouth always moves faster than his brain. 

Lou Ellen freezes in her seat before proceeding to shove Cecil, “Dude, what in Hades?”

Cecil peers curiously at Nico and Will. They’re both blushing, although Will looks a bit panicked, looking back and forth from Nico and Cecil again. Nico just has his head down but his ears are glowing red.

“You don’t have to answer if-” Cecil hastily adds after a few long moments of awkward silence, worrying he might have just guessed wrong and that maybe they were actually just really good friends all this time.

But Nico suddenly speaks up, shocking them all into another silence.

“Yeah, we are.”

Will’s eyes are comically wide; Lou Ellen’s mouth has dropped open, and Cecil raises his eyebrows. Nico was the first to volunteer the fact that they were together.

Huh. 

Nico shifts uncomfortably in his seat before raising his head and looking straight at Cecil, “I confessed after you came to talk to me.”

Lou Ellen unfreezes, directing her shocked question at Cecil, “You went to talk to Nico?”

Figures. She would be shocked. 

Cecil had always felt a little scared or intimidated around the son of Hades. He still doesn’t know what went in him that he had the actual guts to talk to Nico, much less _tease_ him about Will.

Will is only frowning at him, “So that’s what you were doing,”

Beside Will, Nico’s whole face is suddenly blushing a bright shade of scarlet.

Another question crosses Cecil’s brain, and he leans closer to the pair. “But wait, who confessed first? Nico?”

Nico nods silently.

Lou Ellen gasps, “Will, you coward!”

It’s Will’s turn to blush scarlet, stuttering as he says, “I didn’t think he liked me, too!”

Nico mutters under his breath, “That’s what he said when I gave him a painting. This dumbass.”

“You gave him a painting.” Cecil echoes as Lou Ellen makes a sound of surprise, smiling widely. He should _so_ tell Valentina about this if she doesn’t already know. “Did you tell Valentina?”

The son of Hades’s eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“That daughter of Aphrodite?”

Will rubs the back of his neck, “Yeah, she talked to me around the same time Cecil was at arts and crafts. Same thing, I guess.”

Cecil nods to confirm, “It was tiring to watch you two pine for each other. We just wanted to get you two together.” 

The pair’s faces look like they’re in flames from how red they are. Will coughs, and Nico only rolls his eyes as he silently reaches over to put a hand on Will’s arm.

“So why didn’t you talk to me?” Will asks confusedly. “Why have _Valentina_ talk to me? You’re my best friend.”

Cecil shrugs, “Because knowing you, I knew you wouldn’t confess first. I put forty dollars, six Cokes, and three chocolate bars into the betting pool, you know. I would get fifty if Nico confessed first."

Will makes a sound of shock at the fact that they've betting. Nico is only smiling at his feet, strangely unbothered by the fact that they’ve been betting on their relationship. When he looks back up, he asks Cecil.

“Can you give me a candy bar and the soda, then?”

Cecil and Lou Ellen burst into laughter at the same time. Cecil nods and holds out his hand for a handshake. Nico hesitantly reaches his hand over, having to stand up to reach from where he’s sitting.

“The candy bars and the soda are all yours.” The son of Hermes promises Nico, making the son of Hades smile brighter and more childlike than Cecil has ever seen him. 

It makes him remember how young the son of Hades actually still is, despite everything he’s been through.

By Christmas, Nico di Angelo is half-heartedly scowling while wearing an ugly red Christmas sweater and a Santa hat with a fluffy bobble at the mess hall for breakfast, but his hand is in Will’s and he looks like he's trying hard not to let his smile show. 

It’s honestly adorable, and it lifts up the mood for the whole camp.

Even when a skeleton crawls out of the already cracked ground by the Hades table and looks at the pair, tilting his skeleton head to the side in confusion, it’s empty eyes boring into Nico’s fierce expression. Will had jumped away from Nico and was currently standing a few feet away.

Cecil can hear Nico’s outburst of indignation about _“Dad didn’t send a skeleton to Hazel and Frank when they got together, why are you here when I get a boyfriend?”_

Needless to say, that little happening at Christmas makes everyone coo and laugh, despite the original terror at seeing a skeleton on Christmas morning.

Cecil’s day only gets better when Valentina Diaz shoves a fifty dollar bill in his direction after breakfast, and he spends the rest of the day with Lou Ellen by the canoe lake.

Christmas is pretty great.


End file.
